Resurfaced Roads Strengthen Healthcare Access

By Obey Musiwa | Harare

Resurfaced roads are improving access to healthcare facilities in Zimbabwe by making journeys to hospitals and clinics safer and more comfortable for patients, medical specialist Dr Coming Hove has said.

Speaking during a pavement resurfacing exercise along Josiah Chinamano Avenue in Harare, Dr Hove said road infrastructure should be viewed as an important component of healthcare delivery because poor roads can delay patients and worsen discomfort during medical emergencies. He said improved road networks were particularly important for communities in remote areas, where patients often travel long distances to reach rural health centres.

“Prior, I had to make sure that we resurface or upgrade the roads that lead to the rural health centres in Mberengwa,” Dr Hove said.

He said damaged roads could increase suffering for patients travelling by ambulance or private vehicle, particularly those with injuries or medical conditions that make movement painful.

“When patients come in via ambulance or private cars, there are a lot of bumps that also make people feel more pain,” he said.

Dr Hove said resurfacing roads leading to healthcare facilities could therefore contribute to better patient experiences while improving the reliability of emergency transport.

He said the intervention was consistent with the Government’s broader development philosophy of ensuring that infrastructure and public services reached communities across the country.

“Our president has actually come on with a very, very, very good philosophy: Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, and leave no place and no one behind,” Dr Hove said.

The comments come as Zimbabwe continues to invest in road rehabilitation under its wider infrastructure development programme, with authorities and local councils working on roads in urban and rural areas.

For the health sector, improved roads can have practical implications beyond convenience. Ambulances require reliable routes to reach patients and transport them to hospitals, while health workers and medical supplies also depend on functional transport networks. Dr Hove said the benefits of improved roads should ultimately be measured by how easily patients can access healthcare.

“If we do it well, all other medical doctors and medical centres will follow suit, and the patient will find coming to the doctors is not really an obstacle or a difficult thing,” he said.

He also called for stronger partnerships between medical practitioners, local authorities, businesses and community organisations to support infrastructure improvements.

“We wanted really to partner with the City Council of Harare, and wherever there is a need, it is very important for us to come together,” Dr Hove said.

The resurfacing of Josiah Chinamano Avenue highlights the growing link between road infrastructure and healthcare access in Zimbabwe, particularly where roads provide critical connections to hospitals, clinics and emergency medical services.

As Zimbabwe continues road rehabilitation, health-sector stakeholders say maintaining reliable transport routes will be essential to ensuring that patients can reach medical facilities safely and without unnecessary delays.

Healthcare access in Zimbabwe